The Last Word In Business

Now, today's last word in business is phygital. No, that's not a word describing how you feel about two hours into watching "The Hobbit." This movie's going on and feeling a little phygital. No, it's not a feeling. It's a concept that computer manufacturer Lenovo announced over the weekend at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Phygital means part physical, part digital. It refers to the way you can play games on the other thing Lenovo unveiled in Las Vegas, what it calls its IdeaCenter Horizon table PC.

INSKEEP: This is a 27-inch, touch-screen computer so big, it can double as a board game. You lay it down horizontally, sort of like a table, and accommodate several users, up to 10 fingers on the screen at once. You can play digital versions of old-style board games.

MONTAGNE: Yeah. That's great. I mean, people once played games like Risk or Monopoly on a simple cardboard square. But now you can play the same game, Steve...

INSKEEP: Mm-hmm.

MONTAGNE: ...on a screen that costs about $1,700.

(LAUGHTER)

INSKEEP: And if 27 inches still sounds a little cramped, the company says it's also working on a 39-inch table PC.

MONTAGNE: And that is the business news on MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.